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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. kid — to tease
  4. kid — child
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. plane — a tool
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. deal — to handle
  11. bear — the animal
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bear — the animal
  18. deal — an agreement

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com